Don Williams' 10 Greatest Songs

by Julian Spivey
The legendary Don Williams died at 78 on Friday, September 8 and it’s a death that truly reverberated around the country music community. Everybody loved Don Williams. I’ve never heard a single bad thing about him and you can’t say that for many. He was a favorite of both myself and my wife, Aprille, thanks to his timeless voice and discography filled with some of the smoothest and greatest love songs in country music history. We had the honor of seeing him in 2011 in Branson, Mo. after he un-retired following his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame and we were so thankful that he did as his show left us mesmerized. His voice was comforting and knowing that his classic songs will live on forever is a comfort, as well. Williams’ smooth vocals earned him a whopping 21 No. 1 hits during his hall of fame country career.

Here are his 10 best songs:

10. “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good”
Williams’ 1981 No. 1 “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good,” written by Dave Hanner, is a prayer to the Lord to make things right for one day. The protagonist of the song needs something good in his life and if the Lord is capable of creating the world surely he could send him one good day.

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​9. “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”
“Some Broken Hearts Never Mend,” a No. 1 written by Wayland Holyfield from 1977, is the tale of a man who just can’t get over a lost love no matter how long ago she left. Williams’ bass-baritone vocals fit this song so perfectly, particularly the catchy chorus. 

​8. “Love Me Over Again”
Williams is known as a great vocalist, but not so much as a songwriter. Most of his hits were written by some of Nashville’s finest songwriters, but his No. 1 “Love Me Over Again” from 1979 was penned by himself. The silky smooth love song is one of many great romantic tunes in Williams’ discography. 

​7. “(Turn Out the Light And) Love Me Tonight”
“(Turn Out the Light And) Love Me Tonight” was one of Williams’ earliest hits when it went to No. 1 in 1975. The song, written by the great Bob McDill, is about pushing everything else in the world away for one night and spending time with the one you love. It’s one of the sweetest tunes in Williams’ repertoire. 

​6. “She Never Knew Me”
“She Never Knew Me,” a No. 2 hit for Williams in 1976 written by Bob McDill and Wayland Holyfield, is one of his best because it’s so different from much of his discography. The song is very similar to the Glen Campbell classic “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” in that it’s about a woman taking her man for granted and him deciding he’s finally had enough of it. 

​5. “If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do)”
“If Hollywood Don’t Need You (Honey I Still Do),” a No. 1 for Williams in 1982, is one of the sweetest love songs in his career. The song, one of many hits he recorded written by Bob McDill, tells of his love going to Hollywood hoping to make it big as an actress, but still needing her back home if her dreams don’t pan out. 

​4. “Say it Again”
“Say it Again,” a No. 1 for Williams in 1976, is another one of the suave singer’s timeless love songs. The tune written by Bob McDill is about completely falling in love with somebody at first glance and being entranced. It’s one of the catchiest songs in Williams’ career. 

​3. “I Believe in You”
“I Believe in You,” a No. 1 for Williams in 1980, would also become the artist’s only crossover success when it landed at No. 24 on the Billboard Top 40. The song, written by Roger Cook and Sam Hogin, tells of all of the things the protagonist does and doesn’t believe in in this great big world, but the thing he most believes in is his love. It’s a sweet love song filled with some good messages. 

​2. “Tulsa Time”
“Tulsa Time,” a No. 1 for Williams in 1978, is the most upbeat track in his career. The Danny Flowers written tune is about a guy who heads for the west coast and stardom in Hollywood before finding out stardom isn’t quite so easy to come by and realizing things weren’t so bad back home in Tulsa, after all. It’s a really infectious tune, featuring great guitar work. 

1. “Good Ole Boys Like Me”
​“Good Ole Boys Like Me,” a No. 2 hit for Williams in 1980, is one of the best songs to ever really capture the true meaning of what it is to live in the South. The song, written by Bob McDill, features perhaps Williams’ best vocal performance (which is truly saying something) and is just an all-around perfect take on the Southern lifestyle.